Expanded metal.



D. G. CLARK. EXPANDED METAL. APPLIUATION FILED MAY 20, 1008.

12 1413 Fig. 1

Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

Fig..3 Fig- 6- WITNESSES.

A fZw c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DWIGHT G. CLARK, 0F PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO CORRUGATED BAR COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

EXPANDED METAL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT G. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Plainville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expanded Metal, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in expanded metal fabrics.

The main object is to produce a fabric having special adaptability to use as concrete reinforcement. For this purpose the fabric consists of bars or rods integrally connected by frames. Preferably the rods extend longitudinally of the fabric and serve as tension members while the frames are preferably diamond shaped. The bars may have any cross-sectional shape desired.

Figure 1, is a. plan view of a sheet showing one arrangement of slitting preparatory to expansion. Fig. 2, shows the sheet of Fig. 1. stretched or expanded. Fig. 3, is an end view of the slitted sheet of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a sectional view of the expanded sheet of Fig. 2. Fig. 5, is a fragmentary sectional view taken at a point of connection between a rod and frames and showing the frames turned at right angles to the rod. Fig. 6, is an end view similar to Fig. 3. the rods being square. Fig. 7, is a View similar to Fig. 4. but of the material shown in Fig. 6. expanded. Fig. 8, is a plan view showing the stock slitted so that when expanded the frames will be relatively staggered instead of in line as in Fig. 2. Fig. 9, is an end view of stock slitted as in Fig. 8, the rods being round. Fig. 10, is a plan view showing stock slitted in a somewhat different manner. Fig. 11, shows a fragment of the material slitted as shown in Fig. 10. and expanded.

The fabric consists of a plurality of parallel rods or bars such as 1 and 2 connected by a series of integral frames having meshes such as 3 and 4. Each frame consists of four strands such as 5, 6, 7 and 8 preferably turned on edge or inclined relative to the general plane of the fabric as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The fabric may be of any width and contain any number of bars. I have shown only three. Bar 9 is connected to bar 2 by frames having meshes such as 10 and 11. Each mesh of this row is opposite a mesh of the first row, that is mesh 10 is opposite mesh 3 etc.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 20, 1908.

Patented Dec. 2,1913.

Serial No. 433,958.

One of the great advantages of this invention is the ease and simplicity of manufacture. The slitting of the stock is as shown in Fig. 1. The slits 12, 13 etc. of one row are staggered relatively to the slits 14, 15 etc. of the next row etc. This makes the problem of slitting comparatively simple. The bonds between the slits 1.4 and 15 etc. which form the meshes of the frames are cut transversely as at 16. Similarly the bonds between the slits 17 and 18 are cut at 19. After slitting, the opposite sides or edges of the sheet are drawn apart to expand it to the desired extent.

Preferably the bars are inclined as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. In some cases however, the bars may be left flat in the general plane of the fabric as shown in Fig. 5.

If desired the fabric may be made from stock having enlarged cross sectional p01- tions to form the bars such as 1, 2 and 9 in Figs. 6 and 7.

If instead of locating the corresponding slits of each row opposite one another as slit 17 is opposite slit 14 in Fig. 1 they are staggered as shown at 17 and 18, Fig. 8, the meshes of the product will be staggered.

The bars or rods 1", 2 and 9 of Fig. 9 are round instead of flat. The shape and size of the rods may be varied to suit the rcquirements of the work for which the fabric is designed.

The stock in Fig. 10 is slitted so as to form the fabric shown in Fig. 11 in which the frames forming the meshes 3 and 10 are directly connected, there being no intermediate bar corresponding with bar 2 of Fig. 2. Other changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

'What I claim is:

1. An expanded metal fabric consisting of a plurality of parallel members connected by a plurality of integral diamond shaped frames each comprisingstrands arranged on edge, adjacent. frames being spaced apart and disconnected between said parallel memhers.

2. An expanded metal fabric consisting of a l')llll'tillty of parallel members arranged on edge and a plurality of integral connecting frames of diamond shape between each pair of adjacent members, adjacent frames being spaced apart and disconnected between said parallel members.

3. A11 expanded metal fabric consisting of a plurality of substantially parallel members integrally connected by a plurality of frames eachconsisting of two pairs of oppositely diverging strands all substantially in the general plane of the members, adjacent frames being spaced apart and disconnected between said parallel members.

4. An expanded metal fabric consisting of parallel members and a series of integral connecting frames each comprising four strands arranged in oppositely disposed pairs and adjacent frames being spaced apart and disconnected between said parallel members. I V

5. An expanded metal made from a single sheet having'substantially parallel sections of entire metal connected at intervals by reticulated metal sections which are disconnected from each other between the entire metal sections.

6. An expanded metal made from a single sheet having substantially parallel sections of entire metal connected at intervals by reticulated metal sections which are disconnected from each other between the entire metal sections; said reticulated metal consisting of meshes, the individual meshes being joined together, in direction f expansion of said metal and disconnected in direction at right angles to the expansion of said metal.

DWIGHT G. CLARK.

Witnesses MARCUS Mi SCHENK, Rom, S. ALLYN. 

